Kernel memory leaking' Intel processor design flaw forces Linux, Windows redesign

Im on 5930K, listed under the 'X' series, so BIOS update required as well ?

https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/products/processors/core/x-series.html?page=2

EDIT:

Yeah, its X-Series.

https://ark.intel.com/products/82931/Intel-Core-i7-5930K-Processor-15M-Cache-up-to-3_70-GHz

 

About bios updates, how screwed is ppl like me, when lastest bios version is from 2012?

 

I've never heard about a BIOS update to fix this. This should be an OS-level fix only.

Where are people getting this information from?

 

https://ark.intel.com/products/77780/Intel-Core-i7-4930K-Processor-12M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz

Product Collection Intel® Core™ X-series Processors

But it is x79 not x99.


I did try the tool from intel and it says i'm secure.

 

For Windows 8.1 users only (and Windows Server 2012 R2 for x64-based Systems):

microsoft already put version 2 of January security patch KB4056898(date 05.01.2018,version 1 is from 03.01.2018).

https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4056898

 

@Sergio You need to add last CPU microcode 23 in your BIOS. I'm on Win7, i5-4690K and Gigabyte Z97-D3H and this is my info after I add last microcode to my BIOS F10e

 

So I went to read article about Meltdown and I have questions for fellow programmers.

1. Operating systems map physical memory directly to user space process? Is that right? What does that sentence mean?
2. Operating systems map other user space processes to user space process? Seriously? Why?

 

From Microsoft:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...ive-execution-side-channel-vulnerabilities-in

 

@FranciscoCL

What about people using mainboards that don't receive BIOS updates? This just doesn't look right.

 

That's is all a AMD/ARM/Intel decision if release or not a microcode updates via OS update channels (like Windows Update).

 

"You need to add last CPU microcode 23 in your BIOS" ... Hi Tomatone, i have no idea how to do that, i don't even know what microcode 23 means. I checked Asus Z87-Deluxe support section for bios and last one is : Version 2103 - 2014/09/12 ( https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Z87DELUXE/HelpDesk_Download/ ) I couldn't fix my Intel-SA-00086 at all, because last version is so out of date there. Intel ME Version 9.5.15.1730 - 2013/11/28

edit: I found this video information, should i do this? youtube > nEYqw5tvZHs (How to update intel and amd processor microcode under windows)

And found this one http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/how-to-update-microcode-from-windows.787152/
http://www.thecicc.com/video/nEYqw5tvZHs.html

edit2: I did updated my microcode to 22 from 1C as shown in the last link video, checked with Hwmonitor. But Specucheck.exe and powershell results are still the same. I really don't know what i am doing now and don't know what to do with bios. Need some rest, anxiety...

Before :
After :

SpecuCheck : https://i.imgur.com/ExAqeC9.png

PowerShell : https://i.imgur.com/LOsDQfK.png

Edit3 : Thanks to @mbk1969 . I just saw his post below about Uefi Bios Updater UBU. So complicated for me. And i am not sure about this microcode 1C to 22 change now. (why 22, not 23) Maybe i did somethings wrong... I downloaded this for microcode.dat - Version: 20171117 (Latest) https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27337/Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-File?v=t . Downloaded this for AMD code http://cdn-fastly.deb.debian.org/de...microcode/amd64-microcode_1.20160316.1.tar.gz ... and WMware https://download3.vmware.com/software/vmw-tools/cpumicrocode/cpumcupdate2.1.zip .. Put them all in same folder, executed install.bat with admin rights. It didn't give me an error. Restarted PC, and it showed as 22 (was 1C).
This is how my folder looks like : https://i.imgur.com/oqv3rKj.png

 

I corrected my statement in a later post. Post #211 in this thread.

The only "tool" from Intel is for the IME bug. There is no "tool" to detect whether or not a system is secure in regards to Meltdown or Spectre. Developing a "tool" to detect either of these bugs, would be little different from developing a piece of malicious software or providing the base for said software.

Microcode updates do NOT come from Windows Update. They come from motherboard and system vendors.

 

Microcode updates can be dispatched via Windows Update too. It would not be the first time (eg: KB3064209).

 

It does sound like a very irresponsible thing for Intel to do (not issuing a Windows Update microcode update.) The amount of mainboards out there that are in use and do not get any updates whatsoever anymore is huge.

On Linux we're already covered. The kernel just updates the microcode on every boot, and Linux distros have already installed (or will be installing) the new microcode files. Intel+MS should follow suit, really.

 

Last BIOS release for my board, Asus x99-A, was 4th December, 3801.

Only one i whacked on, was the 1004, when i got it (back in 2014 i think), for the Xonar compatability.

 

Apart from VMware driver method there is great tool Uefi Bios Updater
https://www.win-raid.com/t154f16-Tool-Guide-News-quot-UEFI-BIOS-Updater-quot-UBU.html

You only have to get file with microcode and file with BIOS image and UBU will patch BIOS file with microcode. Then you can flash file to BIOS. For ASUS motherboards with strict checksum control user can use flashback method (like I did).

PS So we can question whether Intel will publish new microcodes for older CPUs (even for Linux).

 

this is such a mess, made worse by idiots that just blab about this stuff on social media and once that happens every knows about it and those that want to exploit it will as opposed to only those that knew about it.

this means my i7 920 if put it back in to working order need new bios and which there hasnt been one in like forever. also mean my uncles i5 4xxx is effect that will most likely never be bios updated even if one if released cause he wont mess with that, and i probably wont do cause i dont even want to deal with this for my system. and even if i wanted to he wont let me mess with bios stuff.

system my dad is using is Duo Core 8400e probably only thing not effected,

Seriously this just made 10x worse by this stuff being released in social media, it better this stuff isnt made public which means only those in know, know how to exploit it and it silently patched, but kinda hard to silently patch things that need bios updates cause that have be done manual by user and good chunk user will never do this, OS patches could been done silently. but if this gona affect performance it would also be hard keep it silent but atlest if wasnt made public it wouldnt be as serious a risk as it now cause ever one knows now.

I never knew this, one can patch the bios of there choice with microcode? I also thought microcode updates to cpu come there windows update when needed which rare? I rather just update mirco code and only that and not the bios, unless stuff in the bios it self that need to changed too, I usual only update my bios to what ever is most recent bios before first installing windows on system, after that i almost never update bios, less there damn good reason

 

@Sergio I updated your last BIOS v2103 with all new modules with UBU and prepar it to use with ASUS USB BIOS Flashback. Look in your motherboard manual which is yours Flashback usb port. BIOS link download

Code:

Procedure: (I already did step 1. with UBU tool...you start from step 2.)

1. Rename the modded BIOS file according to ASUS "USB BIOS Flashback Rules". The ASUS support is offering a tool named "BIOS Renamer for USB BIOS Flashback" for all mainboards, which support the USB Flashback feature. Furthermore the UBU tool offfers the renaming procedure as well.
2. Copy the modded and renamed BIOS file onto a FAT32 formatted empty USB Flash drive and insert it into the special "USB Flashback port".
3. Shut down the computer, but don't power it off.
4. Hit the USB BIOS Flashback button. A LED light will start blinking. Press the button for some seconds (LED light should have blinked 3-4 times).
5. Wait until the LED light doesn't blink anymore. This means, that the BIOS has been successfully flashed into the BIOS chip of the mainboard.
6. Then all is done. You can power off the computer and remove the USB Flash drive.

 

Not really sure what you're asking there, the wiki article you linked doesn't mention either of those 2 sentences.


"Since many operating systems map physical memory, kernel processes, and other running user space processes into the address space of every process and rely on privilege checking to prevent unauthorized access.."

Means there is no hard border between the memory the core OS is using and the memory used by a normal program/application..

Because of this, there is the possibility that badly written programs or deliberately malicious programs can access or modify the memory that the OS is using and cause crashes or read data stored by the OS, which can include passwords.

 

This method doesn`t require BIOS file modding and flashing it to BIOS
https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/w...pu-microcode-without-modding-the-bios.418806/

But method with Uefi Bios Updater does namely that - modds BIOS image file (with desired CPU microcode) so that you can flash it to BIOS.